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Confessions of a Sports Parent: The Scoreboard
Happy New Year to you and your family. As the holidays have come and gone, and most of us are back into our routines, it can only mean one thing…back to driving our kids all over creation to their respective sporting events. As a result, I thought it would be fun to resume writing about the random thoughts I sometimes have while sitting on a sideline as a parent. This week, I find myself musing over a topic that always brings about a heated debate among parents and organizations. That is the debate surrounding the scoreboard. How important is it? What does it mean? Is it even needed? Is it…
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Confessions of a Sports Parent: The Parent Zone
If you are anything like me, I sometimes lose sight that my boy’s childhood is flying by. We go from one season to the next, making it difficult to enjoy the time right in front of us entirely. It is hard to stay in the moment and present, knowing the next game, season, or sport is coming right around the corner. That said, whenever I do catch myself adrift from the moment, I try to approach each game or match with the end in sight. It sounds contradicting, but it has helped me stay in the present. One of the interior freedoms that occur after mid-life is the ability to…
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Confessions of a Sports Parent: Sports Wounds
(This is the second part of the series, it might be helpful to read the first here) We have all heard flight attendants say to adults and caregivers, especially parents, to be sure to apply your oxygen mask first before helping others. The thought, of course, is if you run out of oxygen yourself, you can’t help anyone else with theirs, especially children. That is a good image for me when I try to stay balanced as a sports parent. When I find myself out of balance, it usually happens when my old sports wounds, fears, or anxieties rear their ugly heads. I refer to these things as my shadows.…
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Confessions of a Sports Parent: Sports Balance
We know there is no rule book for those of us who are parents. We learn on the fly, with many cultural influences affecting our decisions and values. Not to mention our personal history, both positive and negative. Furthermore, for those of us who have children playing sports, the same premise exists…there isn’t a rule book, yet the same influences exist. Gone are the days of signing up at your local league, and you play a season for just that team alone. The rise of travel and specialization has changed the landscape of youth sports. As a result, most of us are trying to navigate an ever-changing world of youth…
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45 and the Mid-Life Brisk Walk
I recently turned 45 years old. Officially, “mid-life territory,” as I was reminded ever so gently. Although hearing this non-disputable truth gave a bit of a sting to my ego, my soul had known for years that mid-life was upon me. We, adults, are not too different from children. I don’t know how often I have to remind my boys to clean up their trash from the basement or put their clothes away in their rooms. Or my personal favorite, “the dishwasher is dirty; why don’t you throw your bowl in there while you’re at it…thank you very much.” We all know the saying, if I’ve told you…
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A Scandalous Christmas
We certainly have become accustomed to reading about scandal in the 24-hour news cycle world that we live in. Whether political scandals, celebrity scandals, or the scandals we like to talk about in our small communities, we have become addicted to them somehow, and I’m not sure that is a good thing. That said, every year on December 25th, we arguably celebrate the most scandalous story ever told. Over the years, we seem to have domesticated the Nativity story in many ways. I am as guilty as anyone. We paint the picture through our “nice,” often middle-class, everyday lives. Not to say that any of that is terrible. I heard…
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Moments in Time: London (The Tube)
This week’s “moment in time” brings us to London, England. Specifically, evening rush hour, traveling on the Piccadilly Line on the Tube. If you ever had the chance to experience this, you know immediately what I am talking about. You may even begin to sweat as you read it. I need a dram of whisky to write about it. Traveling on the Tube at rush hour can leave you overstimulated with all kinds of sights and sounds. Not to mention the overwhelming lack of personal space that can make your skin crawl to this day. (This was even before Covid.) Traveling as an American in Europe, you quickly come to…
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Present
Over the past week, I became aware of a handful of heartbreaking losses. An old teammate who was 45 years old. A former colleague and friend who did so much for the local community. An acquaintance who lost his life doing what many of us do every weekend, driving one of his children to one of their activities. Each had a name, Pedro, Rich, and Sean. Each is just as tragic. Each is just as gut-wrenching, especially when thinking about their loved ones, particularly their children. I can’t imagine the profound sadness and absence that must be felt in each respective home. Every death brings about a certain weight and…
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Some Random Thoughts at 44
Every year around my birthday, I love to come up with random thoughts that strike me at this stage of my life. As I reviewed what I came up with last year, I realized how much I am still in the same mindset. (I’m not sure that is a good or bad thing.). So with a few add-ons and clarifications (all in bold)…here are a few things that strike me this year: Seeing the world upside down is seeing it right side up. Thank you, St. Peter. (From this perspective, perceived loss is a gain, perceived weakness is strength, and true greatness is found in humility. ) Sinatra’s album, Nice…
